The ILD is the first global index of trends in linguistic diversity, as measured in changes in the number of mother-tongue speakers of a globally representative sample of languages. The objective is to provide solid quantitative data that will show whether the world’s languages (particularly indigenous languages) are losing speakers, and if so, at what pace. A published discussion of the ILD is available as a downloadable PDF from the link below:

Harmon, David and Loh, Jonathan. 2010. The Index of Linguistic Diversity: A New Quantitative Measure of Trends in the Status of the World's Languages. Language Documentation & Conservation Vol. 4: 97-151

The VITEK is a locally-appropriate, globally-applicable indicator focused on trends of retention or loss of TEK over time. It is the first tool of its kind to rate the vitality status of TEK (i.e. inferrable trends of retention or loss over time) within selected groups and allow for relative comparisons of that status among groups at different scales of inclusiveness.

Patrick McConvell and Nick Thieberger identified 10 language endangerment indicators which they used to assess the vitality of Australia's Indigenous languages:

UNESCO's Language Vitality and Endangerment tool was designed to assist language communities, linguists, educators and administrators to finding ways to enhance the vitality of threatened languages. The method includes six factors to evaluate a language’s vitality and state of endangerment, two further factors to assess language attitudes, and one additional factor to evaluate the urgency of documentation. Taken together, these nine factors are useful for characterizing a language’s overall sociolinguistic situation.